St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-11-05
LABOR NOTES.
Several Items of Interest to the Employer
and the EmplOyee.

and the Employee.
The demand for all kinds of skilled and
unskilled labor is still fully up to, and II
many cases in excess of, the supply. Wages
are easily held in all skilled branches, and
in some places inferior skilled labor is being
paid the same wages as the best skilled, q
complaint which employers have had occa-
sion to make quite frequently of late. The
determination of trade-unionists to exact the
same compensation for inferior skilled labor
as for the best is source Of constant annoy
ance to many employers, who see no way OF
escape with work so abundant. They will,
no doubt take the first opportunity to weed
out the less valuable and retain the best.
The movement for Saturday alf-holiday
in New York is failure. Employers say
that margins will not allow half-holiday at
| this time as competition was never so sharp,
| but admit that if general the half-holiday
would be endurable. Enlightened employ
ers and persons of q philanthropic turn of
| mind are urging that more generous SYM
pathy should be created between employers
and employees; that this would do more to
lessen the friction than strong protective Or
CARNATIONS. One Lowell corporation treats
its 500 employees to days excursion.
More or less labor is constantly flocking
southwark but the demand there is for
special kinds of skill, such as founders, ma
chinists, workers in wood, makers of rail
way appliances, stovemakers, and the like.
There are also good many lumber workers
cypress regions of the South. Southern
white labor is willing to work and is steadily
falling in. Negro labor comes in rather
more slowly, and as a rule is less reliable,
owing to the irregular habits under the old
cotton-growing regime.
The industrial reports from newspapers
throughout the Northwest show fastening
forward of all kinds of enterprise on ac
count of the near approach of cold weather
In many shops work is being kept up until
ten or eleven o'clock. In some mills it is
common thing to have day and night work.
A good many new shops are being built and
win be ready for machinery by February and
for operation by April 1.
The competition of trade among textile
manufacturers is such as to stimulate pro-
duction, especially in all kinds Of cotton
goods. Staple productions are closely sold
up, prices are very firm and retailers are
Fastening in large orders for winter distribu-
ton. The outlook is very favorable for the
winter. Loom capacity is pretty well sold,
up, and New England manufacturers are in
excellent spirits over the favorable trade in
dications for the winter.
For years past steelmaking in England has
been crowding ironmaking to the wall, so to
speak, and great many pudding mills or
lOISeS nave DeeH 1uIo OF only pdTIld'ly ell
ployed. A new basic furnace, called the
Battle, has been perfected, which, according
to English papers, will save many ironmak-
ing districts from ruin. Steel plants are null
tiplying, because they can be built at a very
small cost.
There are 20 blast furnaces in and about
Pittsburg, IS rolling-mills % steel works, 16
window-glass works, 81 fint-glass works, and
IL green-glass works. The blast furnaces
olyn 1r &hn
rolling-miils $4,000 tons; steel works,
10000 tons plate-glass works, 3,25O,OO
square feet; windoW-glass works, 100000
oxes.
Labor organizations are increasing steadily.
The Federation of Labor is gaining ground
quietly, and is increasing membership faster
now than the Knights of Labor. There are
no factional disturbances, no complaints
about assessments, no interference of central
prevails between the various branches of the
federation.
The tanneries of the country complain bit
terly of narrow margins, but their output is
being promptly marketed. They anticipate
an improvement in prices on account Of the
increasing sales of boots and shoes. The
boot and shoe manufacturers all over the New
England States and Philadelphia have had |
remarkably good season as to volume of
business.
The interchanging of machinery parts, |
which is SO common in all American work |
shops, was suggested and introduced by a
man named Root, who worked in Colts |
pistol factory and who was made superin- |
Eendent at salary of $40, 900 year.
Valuable anthracite coal finds are being |
made on the Northern Pacific coast. One |
district is said to possess the richest coal |
measures in the world. One vein is fourteen |
feet thick. another thirty feet and another |
Twelve feet. All these seams are within a /
distance of 700 yards. There are seven coal
seams in all.
For some reason the coal owners of South
Wales propose to abolish the sliding scale, /
by which 10000 miners have been paid for
,en years. During the ten past years SIS, ,0OO,-
)00 or its equivalent, has been expended by
English mechanics, colliers and cotton spin
ners in paying the cost of strikes.
Manufacturers in Great Britain are grad
lally adopting liquid fuel in place of raw
fuel. A London shipbuilder has just built
steam launch of 120 tons burden to be run
by petroleum, which is injected into the fur
mace by means of steam taken from the
boiler. This experiment will be watched.